Decorative separator

ABSTRACT

A decorative separator comprising a plurality of elongated runners, a plurality of decorative members affixed to the runners, a retainer for receiving the runners therein in generally end to end relationship, and cooperating grooves and recesses on the runners and retainer for retaining the runners in the retainer.

United States Patent Rief et al.

[ 1 Nov. 26, 1974 1 DECORATIVE SEPARATOR [75] Inventors: Dean J. Rief; William S. McKinney,

both of Huntington Beach, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Rief Enterprises, Inc., Gardena,

[58] Field of Search 161/25, 27; 248/27.8, 350; 47/41.1l,41.12, 41.13

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,130,109 4/1964 Harvey et al. 161/25 4/1967 Pawl 161/27 UX 6/1972 Chin et al. 161/27 Primary Examiner-William E. Schulz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Gordon L. Peterson [57] ABSTRACT A decorative separator comprising a plurality of elongated runners, a plurality of decorative members affixed to the runners, a retainer for receiving the runners therein in generally end to end relationship, and cooperating grooves and recesses on the runners and retainer for retaining the runners in the retainer.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION the runners. A construction such as this is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,315,925.

One problem with this prior art construction is that the rigid, metal retainer is not resiliently bendable.

Therefore, in use the retainer may be easily permanently deformed and damaged. This results in an unsightly appearance which is inconsistent with the intended decorative nature of the separator.

Another problem relates to the method of affixing the runners to the retainer. In this prior art construction each of the runners includes opposed, elongated lateral surfaces and an end surface with the decorative members projecting outwardly from the end surface. A pair of ledges is formed in the end surface above the lateral surfaces and the retainer is generally channelshaped. The runners are received within the channelshaped retainer and the ends of the flanges of the channel-shaped retainer are bent or crimped over the ledges on the end surface. This metal crimping operation makes assembly relatively difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a decorative separator or divider which is damage resistant in that it can be easily resiliently deformed. With the present invention, assembly of the runners and the retainer is materially simplified. The runners are automatically attached to the retainer in response to insertion of the runners into the retainer.

To facilitate the attachment of the runners to the retainer, the present invention employs cooperating projections and recesses on the runners and retainer. This eliminates the need for the metal crimping operation described above. The projections and recesses can advantageously be formed on the flanges of the retainer and the lateral surfaces of the runners.

With the present invention, the retainer and the runners can both advantageously be constructed of a plastic material. This allows the entire decorative separator to be resiliently deformable so that it can resist damage and permanent deformation. The retainer lends some rigidity to the decorative separator without making the decorative separator totally rigid. In addition, forming the retainer and the runners of plastic material facilitates the formation of the projections and recesses.

The flanges of the retainer resiliently resist being spread apart and resiliently grip the runners. Assembly is facilitated in that the runners can be forced downwardly into the retainer until the projections snap into the recesses. Alternatively, the runners can be slid longitudinally into the retainer from one end of the retainer. Both of these assembly methods results in automatic attachment of the runners to the retainer.

To further facilitate installation, each of the projections caninclude a cam surface which is responsive to insertion of the runner downwardly into the retainer to cam the flanges away from each other. At the end of the cam surface, the projection can snap into the cooperating recess. This construction also allows the decorative separator to be disassembled to replace worn or damaged parts.

The invention can best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one use of the decorative separators.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on a transverse plane through a decorative separator constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating one of the projections and one of the recesses used for retaining the runners within the runner retainer.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on a transverse plane through the retainer.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on a central longitudinal plane through the decorative separator.

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view through one of the runners and one of the decorative members.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a food display case 11 for a food product such as meat 13. The food display case 11 has been sectioned or divided by decorative separators or greens holders l5.

Each of the decorative separators 15 is elongated and includes a plurality of runners 17, a retainer 19, and decorative members 21. The retainer 19 is elongated and the cross section shown in FIG. 4 is continuous throughout the full length of the retainer. The retainer 19 is generally channel-shaped in cross section and includes a pair of spaced flanges 23 and 25 joined by a web 27. The retainer 19 defines a cavity 28 access to which can be had from the opposite ends of the retainer 19 or from an opening 28a at the upper end thereof.

Identical projections 29 are formed on the inner surfaces of the flanges 23 and 25. The flanges 29 project toward each other, and in the embodiment illustrated are equidistant from the web 29. Each of the projections 29 has a sloping cam surface 31 which extends laterally outwardly as it extends away from the web 27.

I Each of the projections 29 also has a face or shoulder The retainer 19 is resiliently flexible and readily resiliently bendable about its longitudinal axis. In addition, the flanges 23 and 25 resiliently resist being bentoutwardly away from each other. In the relaxed condition shown in FIG. 4, the flanges 23 and 25 are substantially parallel and substantiallyperpendicular to the web 27. The retainer 19 is preferably integrally constructed and may be, for example, extruded or molded from a suitable plastic material such as polyvinylchloride.

Each of the runners 17 may be identical. Each of the runners 17 (FIGS. 2 and 6) has generally opposed lateral surfaces 35 and 37, an outer end surface 39 and an inner end surface 41. The outer end surface 39 has a longtiduinally extending ridge 43 thereon. The lateral surfaces 35 and 37 have longitudinally extending grooves or recesses 45 and 47, respectively. Each of the grooves 45 and 47 is defined by a pair of spaced side surfaces 49and an end surface 51.. In the embodiment illustrated, the grooves 45 and 47 are of identical configuration in cross section and are equidistant from the inner end surface 41.

The runners 17 have a plurality of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending passages 53. Although the decorative members 21 can be attached to the runners 17 in different ways, in the embodiment illustrated, each of the decorative members includes a stem 55 which extends through one of the passages 53 of one of the runners. The stem 55 has enlargements 57 and 59 at the opposite ends thereof contiguous the opposite ends of the associated passage 53 to firmly lock the decorative members to the associated runner. Except for the passage 53, the cross section of the runner 17 shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 extends continuously throughout the full length of the runner 17. The lateral surfaces 35 and 37 slope toward each other as they extend toward the inner end surface 41. Except for the grooves 45 and 47 and the ridge 43, the periphery of the cross section of the runner 17 is in the form of a trapezoid.

Each of the decorative members 21 has a decorative portion 61 above the stem 55 thereof. Although the decorative portion 61 may take different forms, in the embodiment illustrated it simulates the appearance of parsley. The decorative members 21 can advantageously be constructed of a plastic material.

To assemble the runners 17 and the retainer 19, the inner end surface 41 of one of the runners 17 is inserted into the open upper end 280 of the retainer 19. The runner 17 is then pushed downwardly and the sloping lateral surfaces 35 and 37 cam the flanges 23 and 25 of the retainer 19 awaty from each other. The flanges 23 and 25 resiliently resist being cammed apart. As the downward movement of the runner l7 continues, the inner end surface 41 eventually contacts the cam surfaces 31 of the projections 29, and upon further inward movement of the runner 19, the camming apart of the flanges 23 and 25 is accelerated because of the slope of the cam surfaces. Eventually the runner 17 is moved sufficiently into the retainer 19 so that the projections 29 snap into the grooves 45 and 47, respectively. This occurs when the bottom of the enlargement 57 is closely adjacent the web 27. The cooperation between the projections 29 and the grooves 45 and 47 prevent relative movement between the runner 17 and the retainer 19 in a transverse direction. The flanges 23 and 25 resiliently grip the lateral surfaces 35 and 37 so that relative axial movement between the runner 17 and the retainer 19 is frictionally resisted.

In an alternative assembly method, the runner 17 is inserted into the cavity 28 from one end of the retainer 19 and slid longitudinally into the retainer. In both assembly methods, the runner 17 is automatically retained by the retainer 19 in response to insertion of the runner into the retainer. Accordingly, there is no need for a crimping operation or other special work operation to attach or interlock the runners and the retainer.

Additional runners 17 may be similarly inserted into and retained by the retainer 19. Alternatively, only one runner per retainer needs to be used if the runner and retainer are of equal length.

The retainer, in addition to being capable of joining a plurality of runners, provides some rigidity to the decorative separator. However, the decorative separator is readily resiliently bendable without becoming permanently distorted.

The cross sectional configurations of the recesses 45 and 47 and the projections 29 can be varied so long as the projections and recesses are capable of retaining the runners in the retainer. However, a cam surface such as the surface 31 is preferred because it facilitates assembly. Also, the rectangular shape of the grooves 45 and 47 is easy to make.

Although one of the assembly methods described herein contemplates holding of the retainer 19 stationary and advancing the runner 17 into the retainer, it should be understood that the runner may be stationary and the retainer 19 advanced, or both the runner and retainer may be advanced.

Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, many changes, modifications and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. A decorative separator comprising:

at least one elongated plastic runner, said runner having inner and outer end surfaces and first and second lateral surfaces;

a plurality of decorative members;

means for attaching said decorative members to said runner so that a plurality of said decorative members project outwardly from the outer end surface of said runner;

an elongated plastic retainer for receiving said runner therein, said retainer including first and second flanges generally confronting said first and second lateral surfaces, respectively;

locking means on said flanges and the lateral surfaces for attaching said runner to said retainer;

said locking means including a recess in one of said first flange and said first lateral surface and a cooperating projection on the other of said first flange and said first lateral surface, said recess being adapted to receive said projection; and

said runner and said retainer being resiliently deforrnable.

2. A decorative separator as defined in claim 1 wherein said recess is in said first lateral surface and said projection is on said first flange, said recess lying intermediate said inner and outer end surfaces and being spaced therefrom.

3. A decorative separator as defined in claim 2 wherein said attaching means includes stems on said decorative members extending through openings in said runner, said flanges resiliently grip said lateral surfaces and said flanges terminate at locations remote from said web without overlapping said outer end surface of said runner, said retainer including a web joining said flanges, said first flange has a sloping surface and a shoulder which at least partially define said proection.

4. A decorative separator comprising:

at least one elongated runner, said runner having an end surfaceand first and second lateral surfaces;

a plurality of decorative members;

means for attaching said decorative members to said runner so that a plurality of said decorative members project outwardly from the end surface of said runner;

a retainer including a pair of interconnected flanges at least partially defining an elongated cavity for receiving said runner, said flanges being closely adjacent the lateral surfaces, respectively, of the runner; v

at least a portion of said retainer being resiliently deformable to allow said flanges to be resiliently relatively moved toward and away from each other;

said cavity having an elongated opening which is elongated sufficiently to receive the elongated dimension of said runner, said runner being insert able into said cavity through said elongated opencam surface means on at least one of said runner and said retainer for resiliently moving said flanges away from each other as the runner is inserted through said elongated opening and into said cavity; and

means responsive to insertion of said runner through said elongated opening and into said cavity of said retainer and to the resilient movement of said flanges for attaching the runner and the retainer whereby said runner is retained in the retainer.

5. A decorative separator as defined in claim 1 wherein said attaching means includes a projection on one of said flanges and a recess in said first lateral surface, said flange is at least partially receivable in said recess, and said cam surface means at least partially defines said projection.

6. A decorative separator as defined in claim 2 including a shoulder on said one flange, said shoulder partially defining said projection and positively retaining said runner from coming out of said cavity through said elongated opening.

7. A decorative separator as defined in claim 4 wherein said runner and runner retainer are constructed of deformable plastic material. 

1. A decorative separator comprising: at least one elongated plastic runner, said runner having inner and outer end surfaces and first and second lateral surfaces; a pluRality of decorative members; means for attaching said decorative members to said runner so that a plurality of said decorative members project outwardly from the outer end surface of said runner; an elongated plastic retainer for receiving said runner therein, said retainer including first and second flanges generally confronting said first and second lateral surfaces, respectively; locking means on said flanges and the lateral surfaces for attaching said runner to said retainer; said locking means including a recess in one of said first flange and said first lateral surface and a cooperating projection on the other of said first flange and said first lateral surface, said recess being adapted to receive said projection; and said runner and said retainer being resiliently deformable.
 2. A decorative separator as defined in claim 1 wherein said recess is in said first lateral surface and said projection is on said first flange, said recess lying intermediate said inner and outer end surfaces and being spaced therefrom.
 3. A decorative separator as defined in claim 2 wherein said attaching means includes stems on said decorative members extending through openings in said runner, said flanges resiliently grip said lateral surfaces and said flanges terminate at locations remote from said web without overlapping said outer end surface of said runner, said retainer including a web joining said flanges, said first flange has a sloping surface and a shoulder which at least partially define said projection.
 4. A decorative separator comprising: at least one elongated runner, said runner having an end surface and first and second lateral surfaces; a plurality of decorative members; means for attaching said decorative members to said runner so that a plurality of said decorative members project outwardly from the end surface of said runner; a retainer including a pair of interconnected flanges at least partially defining an elongated cavity for receiving said runner, said flanges being closely adjacent the lateral surfaces, respectively, of the runner; at least a portion of said retainer being resiliently deformable to allow said flanges to be resiliently relatively moved toward and away from each other; said cavity having an elongated opening which is elongated sufficiently to receive the elongated dimension of said runner, said runner being insertable into said cavity through said elongated opening; cam surface means on at least one of said runner and said retainer for resiliently moving said flanges away from each other as the runner is inserted through said elongated opening and into said cavity; and means responsive to insertion of said runner through said elongated opening and into said cavity of said retainer and to the resilient movement of said flanges for attaching the runner and the retainer whereby said runner is retained in the retainer.
 5. A decorative separator as defined in claim 1 wherein said attaching means includes a projection on one of said flanges and a recess in said first lateral surface, said flange is at least partially receivable in said recess, and said cam surface means at least partially defines said projection.
 6. A decorative separator as defined in claim 2 including a shoulder on said one flange, said shoulder partially defining said projection and positively retaining said runner from coming out of said cavity through said elongated opening.
 7. A decorative separator as defined in claim 4 wherein said runner and runner retainer are constructed of deformable plastic material. 